Halm, of Mahomet, Ill., who played baseball at Miami of Ohio and also in Germany for a semi-pro team, was a late entry in the tournament, subbing for the team masseuse, Vyascheslav Kodryan, who couldn't compete because the event was held on a Saturday, which was his day off.

Halm advanced through the pitchers' bracket in the 64-player field, and ousted Edwin Jackson in the semifinal round to square off against DeJesus in the final.

"He put the pressure on," DeJesus said of Halm, who led after three rounds of the five-round final. "He was definitely a good bunter. I just wanted to roll on my ball, make sure I was loose, keep the muscles nice and fresh, and I was able to win by 10."

DeJesus beat Edwin Maysonet in the semifinal to advance.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum wasn't too worried about how it would look if Halm won.

"I'm really worried about that," Sveum said with a sarcastic tone. "The guy was a professional player, played overseas and played in college."

First place was $3,400, and $1,000 will be donated to the family of Tom Pratt, a longtime Cubs Minor League coach who died last December.